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Rambo Original, Dover NorthWind, Or Amigo XL?

My morgan horse has big shoulders and a large neck. He needs extra room in the shoulders so I have limited options on brands. I have 2 riders international supreme blankets and they have both gotten some minor rips and tears. I want something that is heavy duty and will last a long time. Please give me your reviews on the three. I am looking for a heavy weight. I like the fact that the Northwind has a 2 year warranty against rips. I am also looking for a blanket with a neck cover because my horse is body clipped this year and Wisconsin gets really cold in the winter! Any reviews on the neck covers would be good also.

I've used all three and honestly, I think the Northwind is the toughest, plus you can't beat that warranty. The Amigo XL has a long drop on the sides, which is nice, but I don't think the fabric is as hardy as the Northwind's.

Haven't used the neck covers, so can't offer an opinion there, but since they'd be of the same fabric as the accompanying blanket, I'd think you'd be safe with the Northwind cover also.

"If ever I did not have a horse or dog in my keeping, I should feel I had lost touch with the earth." ~Beryl Markham

I have all 3 of these blankets and would recommend them in the order you posted. Rambo is the sturdiest and the gold standard. I also like the Dover Northwind a lot. I don't super care for their closures, I prefer the Rambo, but that's a minor nitpick. Amigo XL is also a nice blanket. VERY roomy. Nowhere near as durable as the other 2. Good value.

Look at Pessoa Tundra. Indestructable (2 winters of abuse and it looks brand-new, and this on a horse who is very destructive to his clothing. They only make a HW now, but their HW is only 300g. Neck cover is available. I LOVE those blankets, thye really have spoiled me.

You can find the Tundra for $175 and free shipping if you look around too. 3 year warranty.

I ust got my Amigo XL and it fits beautifully on my large shouldered BelgianX. I also got the 150gr hood too. I have had great luck with Amigo. The only thing I don't like are the lack of leg straps. The tail strap does get gross. I think the greatest find was the Eous blankets. They are made for large shouldered horses. I also like that they have a nice deep drop. You can see them at classicsaddlery.com and smartipony.com. Customer service and prices are great.

Rambo. I have had the same Rambo's for the last 11 years, used every year for horses out 24/7. Still waterproof and no rips!

The "original" Original doesn't work with a neck cover, but the original with leg arches and the supreme do. If you buy from Dover and are dissatisfied (ie it rips within a few years), you can return it.

Northwinds don't fit as big in the chest, nor are they the quality of the rambo.

Amigos are ok, and the XL might work, but IMO your money will be better spend on Rambo. The Amigos are just not as durable. If you do go with an Amigo, choose the 12D Plus - it is the highest denier, and comes with a neck cover.

Ditto, except mine is going on like 8 years. Still looks dang near new.

My NorthWind is 6 years old and would still look new if I hadn't let wimpy boy wear it, and ex-boarder's evil pony put bite marks all in the butt. Luckily they are small and putting the sheet over it makes it waterproof enough.

My Riders supremes have gotten tears and rips within 1 year and don't last more than 2 years. They also don't have the ballistic nylon though. They have the polyester material.

I decided to buy the NorthWind. It has a 2 year warranty and I live near a dover saddlery so if it rips, they will just give me another one and I don't have to wait for the store to get it, inspect it, and then ship me another one. The heavy weight was also on sale for $180 vs the Rambo $300(without a rip or tear warranty).

I was actually a little disappointed in the fit of the Rambo. Maybe it's the V in the front. Just didn't seem to fit my guy right. So sent them back and got Rhino's. Much better. Guess he needs more of the straight cut across the front. He has bigger shoulders and the V just seem to be too tight and restricting IMO.

The added plus is the Rhino's are a bit cheaper than the Rambo along with them fitting my guy better.

I just ordered the SmartPak Blue Thinsulate blanket as a back up. Will see how that fits him when it comes in.

I was actually a little disappointed in the fit of the Rambo. Maybe it's the V in the front. Just didn't seem to fit my guy right. So sent them back and got Rhino's. Much better. Guess he needs more of the straight cut across the front. He has bigger shoulders and the V just seem to be too tight and restricting IMO.

The added plus is the Rhino's are a bit cheaper than the Rambo along with them fitting my guy better.

I just ordered the SmartPak Blue Thinsulate blanket as a back up. Will see how that fits him when it comes in.

I tried the smartpak blankets and didn't like them. They don't have any velcro to keep the front together

Rambo. I have had the same Rambo's for the last 11 years, used every year for horses out 24/7. Still waterproof and no rips!

The "original" Original doesn't work with a neck cover, but the original with leg arches and the supreme do. If you buy from Dover and are dissatisfied (ie it rips within a few years), you can return it.

Northwinds don't fit as big in the chest, nor are they the quality of the rambo.

Amigos are ok, and the XL might work, but IMO your money will be better spend on Rambo. The Amigos are just not as durable. If you do go with an Amigo, choose the 12D Plus - it is the highest denier, and comes with a neck cover.

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Really? I have a big wide boy - 15.3 hands and wears a 50" girth. . . my Northwind fit him just fine in the chest. I have had very good luck with Northwinds and Weatherbeetas - I have a ten year old Weatherbeeta with no rips and still waterproof, so I really think that Rambo can no longer claim to be "the best" any more. I'll never buy a Rambo - they are 2 to 3 times more expensive and don't have a lot of features I like: no leg straps, (here on the prairie, we get high winds, without leg straps a blanket would blow right over their backs) no fleece at the withers, no shoulder gussets. And yest Rambos do rub. I have friends who use them and their horses have rubs. So for me there is no reason to spend over $300-$400 on a blanket when I can get a Northwind or a Weatherbeeta that lasts every bit as long (on a horse that is hard on his clothes) and has better features. .Just my ridiculous opinion.

I have Rambos and Northwinds right now.
Rambos are nice and they do tend to last but after their refusal to stand behind their Rhino product when it practically disintegrated (being worn by my princess mare who was very easy on blankets) I swore I would never buy from Horseware again.
I have had Northwinds for years. The only repair I have needed to have done was a minor repair on the neck cover because last year my guys (who are both very hard on blankets in general) were turned out with 2 incredibly mouthy young geldings who grabbed balnkets of horses walking by at every chance they got (mine were the only ones whose tail pieces were not ripped off by these 2 jokers). They are a good value for the money and Dover stands behind its product and warranty.
The Rhinos I had were pieces of crap and so I would be leary of the Amigo which is another rung down on the quality scale of the Horseware brands

There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.(Churchill)